To ensure proportional representation based on area and population, the directors are appropriated as follows:
District 1: Five directors representing Champaign County; Ford County; and the Townships of Anchor, Arrowsmith, Bloomington, Blue Mound, Cheneys Grove, Dale, Danvers, Downs, Dry Grove, Empire, Funks Grove, Mount Hope, Normal, Old Town, Randolph, Towanda, West, Allin, Bellflower, Chenoa, Dawson, Lawndale, Lexington, Martin, and Yates in McLean County.
District 2: One director representing Logan County and Tazewell County.
District 3: One director representing Woodford County; Livingston County; and the Townships of Hudson, Money Creek, White Oak, and Gridley in McLean County.
District 4: One director representing DeWitt County, Macon County and Piatt County.
District 5: One director representing Henry County; Knox County; the Townships of Goshen and Elmira in Stark County; and the Townships of Neponset, Mineral, Gold and Fairfield in Bureau County.
District 6: One director representing Putnam County; Marshall County; and the Township of Arispie, Berlin, Bureau, Clarion, Concord, Dover, Granville, Greenville, Hall, Indiantown, Leepertown, Macon, Manlius, Milo, Princeton, Selby, Walnut, Westfield, and Wyanet in Bureau County; the Township of Osceola in Stark County.
District 7: One director representing LaSalle County and Kendall County.
Please refer to our bylaws for additional information on director qualifications and eligibility.
Meet Your Directors
Pete Borowski - District 1
Pete and his wife, Debbie, reside in Bloomington. They have been married for over 44 years and have two children and two grandchildren all residing in the Bloomington/Normal area. Pete retired from Country Financial as the Vice President and Corporate Controller in 2012 after a 38 year career. Pete is a certified public accountant (CPA) and also holds several other insurance industry accreditations. Pete has served on numerous Boards of Directors for social and civic agencies within McLean County and currently serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation. Pete is looking forward to serving the membership of the Corn Belt Energy Cooperative and providing his best efforts toward maintaining the co-op’s delivery of excellent electrical service.
Dennis Fredrickson - District 5
Dennis and his wife Linda live in Victoria and they have two grown children and one granddaughter. He graduated from Carl Sandburg College and attended Western Illinois University. He farms 800 acres and is a seed dealer for Asgrow and DeKalb. Dennis and Linda are members of the First Presbyterian Church in Galesburg. Dennis is a member of Illinois Corn Growers, Illinois Soybean Association, and Knox County Farm Bureau and serves as a director on the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives (AIEC) in Springfield. He originally served on the Illinois Valley Electric Cooperative (IVEC) board from 1995 until the merger in 1999 before beginning his service on the Corn Belt Board in 1999.
Frank Kobilsek - District 7
Frank and his wife Anita live in the rural Peterstown area south of Mendota. Frank holds a bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Technology from Bradley University and a MBA from Lewis University. After a long career in industry, Frank is now the full time Fundraising Coordinator at St. Margaret’s Health based in Spring Valley. Anita continues to serve the community as the Principal of Holy Cross School in Mendota. Frank has always been active in the Illinois Valley and is currently President of the IV Sunrise Rotary, a board member to both the Illinois Valley Area Chamber of Commerce and the LaSalle Business Association. Frank’s true passion is woodturning and carving which you may see him exhibiting at art shows in your area.
Terry Longman - District 3
Terry and his wife, Beth, reside in rural El Paso, parents of two grown daughters. Terry graduated from Illinois Central College in Diesel and Farm Service Technology. He worked for a farm dealership for eight years before starting his own farm implement repair business. The business is in its 30th year of operation. Terry has also been farming since 1988. He previously raised livestock, but now just farms grains. Terry has also been an assistant in Panola Township Road District for over 20 years. He is a member of the Woodford County Farm Bureau. Terry served Corn Belt Energy as a Nominating Committee member for several years. He has attended many Corn Belt Energy Annual Meetings and admires the smooth operations of the Cooperative.
Denise Mayes - District 1
Denise, husband Chad and three children (Izabella, Landon and Brooklyn) reside in Downs. Born and raised in Central IL, Denise attended Illinois Wesleyan University, where she received her bachelor's degree in Business Administration. After graduation, she began her career as a financial advisor and manager in the securities industry and remained there for a period of 14 years before she resigned to oversee the operations of several family businesses. She and her husband Chad, own and operate Pro Air HVAC and C&E Heating and Air Conditioning - both founded in Bloomington, IL and ran with a principal of treating others as they would want to be treated in business. In her spare time, she enjoys spending quality time with her 3 vivacious children and living vicariously through their energy, curiosity and growing activities.
Barbara Metzger - District 6
Barb and her husband, John, of 40 years are residents of Bureau County for the past 35 years. They have two sons, Joshua (Colorado Springs, Colorado) and Jedediah (McLean County, Stanford, Illinois) and three beautiful grandchildren. Barb received her Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University in 1981. Barb retired from Bureau Valley High School in 2019, although she is called now to be a substitute sometimes four days a week. Barb is an active member of Bureau Township Community Church serving on the church board and as a delegate at the national convention in Fort Wayne, Indiana, several times. Barb has seen Corn Belt Energy at its best and is thrilled to serve as District 7 Director. Her family has enjoyed having Corn Belt Energy excellent service for over 30 years.
Rae F. Payne - District 1
Rae and his wife Jean reside in Bloomington. Employed by Illinois Farm Bureau as senior director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Rae graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in finance and business administration. He has served on the Corn Belt Board of Directors since 1986 and has been chairman of the board since 1988. He has completed the Certificate for Credentialed Cooperative Director Program as well as additional courses administered by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Rae has also served on the board of directors of 1st Farm Credit Services and on several other business and statewide government boards and commissions.
Janice Reimer - District 1
Jan resides in rural Carlock and has been a Corn Belt co-op member 1960. She and her now-deceased husband were farmers for 48½ years and she continues to manage her farm of corn and soybeans with her son-in-law farming the land. Jan has four grown daughters and four delightful grandchildren. She is a retired administrative assistant, having worked at Chiddix Junior High for 19 years. Jan is very active at Carlock Mennonite Church and serves as recording secretary for the McLean County Sheriff’s Merit Commission. She is assistant secretary/treasurer on the Corn Belt board and serves on the Finance Committee. Jan has completed her Board Leadership Certificate and her Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate. Jan’s goal is to continue to represent and serve co-op members with reasonable rates and reliable service as well as returning capital credits in a timely fashion.
Jerry Starkey - District 1
Jerry and his wife Becky live in in Le Roy, the parents of two and grandparents to six. Jerry served 24 years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force and retired as a Lt. Colonel. Jerry received his Bachelor of Science in agriculture from the University of Illinois, a Masters in business administration from the University of North Dakota, and a Masters of Science in safety from Central Missouri University. He is a member and former president of the McLean County Elected Officials, and currently serves as the Empire Township Clerk. He completed the Certificate for Credentialed Cooperative Director Program and the Director’s Board Leadership Certificate Program in 2006. Jerry has served on the Corn Belt Board and the Finance Committee since 2004.
Beth Beachy - District 2
Beth and her husband Dar live on her family’s farm in rural Hopedale. Beth graduated from Goshen College with a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and works full time as the Director of the Birth to Five Division at Tazewell County Health Department while Dar works in management at State Farm. They have three children. Their son Ashton and his wife Darci both teach in the Eureka school system and have blessed them with their first granddaughter, Millie Jo. Their daughter Jessalyn runs a daycare from their home and her husband Cole works at Rivian and they are anticipating the arrival of their first child this summer. Their youngest, Alexa, just finished her sophomore year at Indiana Wesleyan University, majoring in Elementary Education. Beth loves hosting and cooking for others and looks forward to family meals each week.
Kay Werts - District 4
Kay and her husband John of 38 years are lifelong residents of Clinton. They have been engaged in farming for 37 years and have three children, Marc (Mt. Pulaski, IL), Jessica (Smithville, MO) and Luke Werts (Clinton, IL) and 6 grandchildren. Kay received her BS and MS from Illinois State University. Kay retired from Clinton Community Unit School District 15 after teaching for 33 years. She is currently an assistant instructional professor at Illinois State University in the department of Kinesiology and Recreation. She is an active member of First Christian Church in Clinton.